Northern Ireland's Building Regulations in Northern Ireland and the Technical Booklets were subject to an interim uplift from June 2022, according to a Department of Finance discussion document published on 26 July 2023 and reissued as Revision A on 11 October 20231. The document states that "Phase 1 provided an interim uplift from June 2022"1. The uplift formed part of a commitment in the Executive's Energy Strategy, Path to Net Zero Energy, published in December 2021, to raise standards through revised technical guidance1.
The Department of Finance holds responsibility for maintaining the Building Regulations for Northern Ireland, and issued the document as a call for evidence covering a range of technical areas1. It states that the consultation applies solely to Northern Ireland1. The document describes the uplift as the first of several planned phases. Phase 3 was to be implemented in 2023, "likely now to be in 2024", Phase 4 is an uplift in 2026/27, and Phase 5 is a further review in 2029/301. The strategy also seeks to ensure new buildings are designed and constructed to net zero ready standards from no later than 2026/271.
The document sets out the areas it covers, which it describes as mutually influential: Part F on conservation of fuel and power, Part K on ventilation, a new Part on mitigation of overheating in dwellings, and a new Part on potential electric vehicle infrastructure requirements1. It states that 15% of Northern Ireland's emissions stem from buildings, with 13% from homes and residential buildings1.
On heating controls, the document notes that England introduced Boiler Plus standards in 2018, and that new measures were introduced in 2022 in all the Great Britain regions to require thermostatic controls1. It also records that Scotland will ban direct emission heating in new buildings subject to a building warrant application from April 20241.
"Phase 1 provided an interim uplift from June 2022."
Why it matters for households
The June 2022 uplift raised the minimum standards that new homes in Northern Ireland must meet, which affects the fabric and services installed in newly built dwellings rather than existing ones. For a household, the practical effect sits in the building's insulation and glazing and in how efficiently it retains heat, since these determine how much energy a home needs to stay warm. The document does not set out the specific target values or minimum insulation figures introduced by Phase 1, and these have not been reported.
The document frames the uplifts as a route towards net zero ready standards for new buildings from no later than 2026/271. It also notes that the vast majority of new buildings constructed in the coming years should still exist in 2050, alongside the many already built, so regulatory requirements need to develop quickly1. That points to a distinction between new-build standards and the existing housing stock and EPC ratings in Northern Ireland, which the phases described do not directly address.
What happens next
The discussion document and pre-consultation opened on 26 July 2023, with a consultation period of 16 weeks and a closing date for responses of 15 November 2023 at 23:591. Revision A, published 11 October 2023, made minor typographical and formatting changes and removed Question 4C.71. The Department states it will consider all responses received on or before the closing date, and that submissions made after that date cannot be considered1. Following the closing date, responses will be analysed and the Department will publish a summary of responses1.
Sources1 cited
- Discussion document and Pre-consultation on next steps - revision A published 11 October 2023, consultations2.nidirect.gov.uk